See Denzel Washington Reveal We’ve All Been Saying His Name Wrong
Denzel Washington has been one of the most prolific actors in our generation, and it turns out we have all been pronouncing his name wrong.
This article is more than 2 years old
If you’re a fan of movies of any kind, then you are likely a Denzel Washington fan. The man has been in so many Oscar-worthy films and has garnered so many Oscar nominations for his superb acting ability. The issue here is that we have all collectively been saying his name wrong. Yes, Denzel doesn’t pronounce his name “Den-zel.” In fact, he cleared the record after all these years, but way back in 2013. It has only now been brought back to our attention. The correct way to say the man’s first name is “Den-zil.” Almost like saying pencil, but with a “Den” in front of it. He dropped the bombshell on The Graham Norton Show. You can see the clip below:
The hilarious comedian who posted the TikTok of Denzel Washington correctly pronounces his name, also gave some a funny take on what is likely to be true. No one is going to correctly call the man “Den-zil.” It just won’t happen. I’m sorry Denzel, but you are Denzel forever. Still, this is a very strange occurrence considering the actor has been one of the most prolific in the last 30+ years, and yet no one knew how to correctly say his name. Even more strange is that this clip was from 2013, but it now became viral after @kevonstage brought it to the world’s attention. This is likely how headstrong the public is. Even though the clip dropped nearly 10 years ago, no one has taken to correct the pronunciation.
Denzel Washington went a bit further into the explanation for how his name is pronounced by the entire world. Due to him being Denzel Washington Jr., it would cause chaos in the house due to his father also being named Denzel Washington. Naturally calling one meant both would answer. So, his mother began to pronounce his name in the way that we all know it to this day. Although he never changed his name, as most actors do, he allowed the mispronunciation to remain due to his mother saying it that way for most of his life. It’s safe to say that Denzel’s mother is responsible for creating the man and the name that has become synonymous with prestigious acting.
Denzel Washington has been one of the most prolific actors in the world since his immersion onto the scene in the late 1970s. Although he had been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in the early years of his career in 1988, it would take until 1990 for him to secure a Best Supporting Actor win for his role in the film, Glory. It would also take another 12 years after that to secure a Best Actor nod for his portrayal of the infamous Alonzo in Training Day. Washington has been nominated for an Oscar 10 times throughout his career, and he could secure another Best Actor win for his newest role as Macbeth in, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Quite frankly, we are all sorry for having been pronouncing your name wrong for so many years, but honestly, the current pronunciation is just so smooth. It must stay Mr. Washington.
